M00t did have a greatly contrasting view to The Zuck. The Zuck -- one identity, one you. M00t talked about "facets," a face you show, just one plane out of the multihedron of You. It's a bit more than Billy Joel's "The Stranger," is the "you" that you bring to work, or maybe just the one you show your boss. The Zuck just had everything all out there for everyone. M00t's insight is that people really really did not want to do that, everything from your personal political leanings to not wanting your grandmother to know about your fursona.

It is a smart hire in that aspect, but Google+ was going to be an also-ran and I don't think M00t alone could save it.

4chan probably largely got so popular because it was the first English language image board, not because of a good idea.

It was really just copied from a formula that was long popular in Japan, and being the first it became the biggest.

An interesting matter is that Lainchan follows largely the same formula and is very civil in comparison, despite not enforcing it, perhaps because it's main focus is technology and not entertainment.

How's that uncharitable? That's probably why the hired him.